More than 100 Santa Clauses and their little helpers danced, bellowed ho-hos and raced up a rapidly melting hill made of snow at the annual World Santa Claus Congress.

Despite a sprinkle of rain and trees in full Nordic summer bloom, the Papa Noels, St Nicks and Sinter Klaases from ten countries were in a yuletide spirit yesterday as they kicked off a three-day convention in Denmark.

To the strains of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, the bearded Santas dressed in red and white gathered in a northern Copenhagen amusement park as dozens of children watched in astonishment.